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Science Backs Controlled-Carb Rather Than 'Right-Carb' Approach to Improve Heart Disease Risk Factors, Obesity

Posted on: Tuesday, 8 March 2005, 09:00 CST

ORLANDO, Fla., March 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Weight reduction can cut the incidence of coronary heart disease in those at risk by nearly a third(1), making it more important than ever for Americans to properly understand nutritional protocols. Dr. Robert C. Atkins knew that the low-carb approach was one of the most effective ways to lose weight and lower heart disease risk factors, but cutting edge science confirms that doing Atkins right is critical.

Atkins is all about choosing nutrient dense carbohydrates and staying away from added sugars, bleached white flour and other highly refined, processed foods and potentially unhealthy levels of sugar alcohols. That is, however, only half of the equation. The other half stresses the importance of an individual knowing his or her carbohydrate threshold, whether for losing or maintaining weight. Atkins, which controls both the quantity and quality of carbohydrate consumption, is the only controlled-carbohydrate nutritional approach supported by science.

"Modifications and commercially motivated reinterpretations of Atkins are simply not in the best interests of medicine and the American public," explained Dr. Stuart Trager, medical director of Atkins Nutritionals, in a speech at the annual American College of Cardiology meeting this week. Dr. Trager, speaking directly to The South Beach Diet author Dr. Arthur Agatston, threw down the gauntlet and challenged Dr. Agatston to "Show us the science. Even your own study, recently published in the Archives of Internal Medicine(2), followed a controlled-carbohydrate protocol virtually identical to Atkins," asserted Dr. Trager. "You know very well that we both encourage consumers to choose the best, or 'right kinds' of carbs as part of a controlled-carb program; by discouraging individual control of carbs, albeit the right carbs, you are putting people at risk of health consequences."

"Because we live in a country in which two-thirds of our population weighs more than they should, focusing on helping people lose weight means saving lives," stated Dr. Trager. "When it comes to safely losing weight and burning fat, studies show that low carb usually outperforms low-fat, low-calorie restrictions(3-5). Moreover, to date, no research has demonstrated the safety and efficacy of a 'right' or 'good' carb approach. The introduction of products with added sugars and trace amounts of trans fats that are endorsed by such a position could potentially endanger the health of individuals who need to lose weight to improve their heart health."

Backed by Research

Additionally, more and more research is drawing a link between high-carbohydrate diets and risk for heart disease(6). When it comes to increased fat burning, fat loss and weight reduction, it is the low-carb approach, not low-fat diet, that has shown superior results that actually help improve people's lives(3-5).

The evidence is overwhelming: The low-carb approach has consistently outperformed other programs -- not only for shedding pounds, but also for reducing abdominal fat, which is itself an independent health risk factor (3-5). Through the science, we now know that:

-- Controlled-carb (Atkins-like) approaches outperform low-fat diets when

it comes to lowering triglyceride levels(7)

-- Controlled-carb approaches produce greater improvements in HDL ("good")

cholesterol than low-fat diets(7)

-- Controlled-carb approaches lower markers of inflammation, in contrast

to high-carbohydrate diets(8)

-- Controlled-carb approaches result in greater loss of total fat and

abdominal fat than low calorie low fat diets(3-5)

The Metabolic Advantage

Research dating as far as back as the 1950s shows that the body responds differently to different types of foods; at that time, Alan Kekwick, M.A., M.B, F.R.C.P., director of the Institute of Clinical Research and Experimental Medicine at London's Hospital, and Gaston L.S. Pawan, B.S., senior research biochemist of that hospital's medical unit, demonstrated that a low- carbohydrate (and high-fat) diet provided a significant metabolic advantage over so-called "balanced" or conventional low-fat diets.(9)

"With the ongoing low-carb research, we can come to the conclusion that when heart health is threatened due to significant obesity, a controlled- carbohydrate approach is more effective at weight loss, and in turn, saving lives,"(3-5, 7) emphasizes Dr. Trager.

The relationship between controlled-carbohydrate nutrition and increased fat burning (oxidation) has been demonstrated. Research has likewise shown that a controlled-carb approach like Atkins causes the body to preferentially burn fat for fuel as compared to calorie restriction which actually decreases fat burning.(10) "In lab work at Pennsylvania Hospital," says Trager, "we found that individuals following Atkins-meaning they were cutting carbs, not calories-increased their percentage of fat burning at rest by 70 percent."

On Atkins, the percentage of fat burned actually increases. Studies demonstrate that when groups of individuals follow different diets and the amount of energy produced by burning stored fat is compared, carbohydrate restriction results in increased fat burning, providing insights into the mechanism of the metabolic advantage.(3-5)

About the Atkins Nutritional Approach(TM) (ANA(TM))

The ANA is a scientifically validated nutritional strategy for weight control and better health based upon controlling carbohydrate consumption. This nutritional strategy stresses nutrient-dense carbohydrates as part of a balanced eating plan that includes a variety of protein and good fats, while restricting carbohydrates that have the greatest impact on blood sugar. The ANA provides each person with the information they need to find his or her individual level of carbohydrate intake, below which weight loss is achieved and above which weight gain occurs.

References

1. Eilat-Adar, S., Eldar, M., Goldbourt, U., "Association of Intentional

Changes in Body Weight with Coronary Heart Disease Event Rates in

Overweight Subjects Who Have an Additional Coronary Risk Factor,"

American Journal of Epidemiology, 2005, 161(4): 352-358.

2. Aude, Y.W., Agatston, A.S., "The National Cholesterol Education

Program Diet vs. a Diet Lower in Carbohydrates and Higher in Protein

and Monounsaturated Fat," Archives of Internal Medicine, 2004, 164:

2141-2146.

3. Brehm B.J., Spang S.E., Lattin B.L., et al., "The Role of Energy

Expenditure in the Differential Weight Loss in Obese Women on Low-Fat

and Low-Carbohydrate Diets," The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology

Metabolism, Dec. 2004, 10.1210/jc.2004-1540.

4. Brehm B.J., Seeley R.J., Daniels S.R., et al., "A Randomized Trial

Comparing a Very Low Carbohydrate Diet and a Calorie-Restricted Low

Fat Diet on Body Weight and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Healthy

Women," The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology Metabolism, April 2003,

88(4):1617-23.

5. Volek, J.S., Sharman M.J., Gomez A.L., et al., "Comparison of

Energy-Restricted Very Low-Carbohydrate and Low-Fat Diets on Weight

Loss and Body Composition in Overweight Men and Women," Nutrition and

Metabolism, Nov. 8, 2004, 1:13.

6. Abbasi F, McLaughlin T, Lamendola C, et al., "High Carbohydrate Diets,

Triglyceride-Rich Lipoproteins, and Coronary Heart Disease Risk." The

American Journal of Cardiology, 2000, 85(1): 45-48.

7. Sondike, S.B., Jacobson, M.S., Copperman, N.M., "Low Carbohydrate

Dieting Increases Weight Loss But Not Cardiovascular Risk in Obese

Adolescents: A Randomized Controlled Trial," Journal of Adolescent

Health, 2000, 26: 91.

8. O'Brien, K.D., Brehm, B.J., Seeley, R.J., "Greater Reduction in

Inflammatory Markers With a Low Carbohydrate Diet than with a

Calorically Matched Low Fat Diet," Presented at American Heart

Association's Scientific Sessions 2002 on Tuesday, November 19, 2002,

Abstract ID: 117597.

9. Kekwick, A., Pawan, G.L.S., "Calorie Intake in Relation to Body-Weight

Changes in the Obese," The Lancet, July 28, 1956, 155-161.

10. Franssila-Kallunki A., Rissanen A., Ekstrand A., et al., "Weight Loss

by Very-Low-Calorie Diets: Effects on Substrate Oxidation, Energy

Expenditure, and Insulin Sensitivity in Obese Subjects," The American

Journal of Clinical Nutrition, July 1992, 56:247-8.

Atkins Nutritionals, Inc.,

CONTACT: Corey Martin of Atkins Nutritionals, Inc., +1-212-457-9246, orcmartin@atkins.com

Source: PRNewswire

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